
THE SHIPS OF THE UNITED STATES NAVY 

AN HISTORICAL RECORD OF THOSE NOW IN SERVICE AND 

OF THEIR PREDECESSORS OF THE SAME NAME 

177^1915 



By Robert W. Neeser 



Reprinted from the 

United States Naval Institute Proceedings 

Vol. 41, No. I, Whole No. 155 

Jan. -Feb., 1915 



E /u 



0, Of Q. 

MAR S 1915 



[copyrighted] 

U. S. NAVAL INSTITUTE, ANNAPOLIS, MD. 



THE SHIPS OF THE UNITED STATES NAVY 

AN HISTORICAL RECORD OF THOSE NOW IN SERVICE AND 
OF THEIR PREDECESSORS OF THE SAME NAME 

177^1915 
By Robert W. Nbeser 



NEW YORK 



New York. — One of the United States. It was first visited by Sebastian 
Cabot in 1497, and colonized by the Dutch East India Company in 1609, 
from whom it was captured by the British in 1664. The state joined the 
union in 1776, and ratified the Constitution in 1778. The city of New 
York is the largest and most important trade center in North America. 
It is situated on Manhattan Island, which was discovered by Hendrik 
Hudson in 1609. The Dutch founded a colony here in 163 1, and called 
it the settlement of New Amsterdam, but in 1664 Richard Nicholls took 
possession of it in the name of the Duke of York, when it received its 
present name. 

The New York is an armored steel battleship of the first class, 
known to-day as a super-dreadnought. She is one of the two 
ships authorized by Congress on June 24, 191 o, and was built by 
the government at the New York navy yard, where she was 
launched on October 30, 19 12. She is a ship of 27,000 tons dis- 
placement, and has the following dimensions : length, 565 feet ; 
breadth, 95 feet 2 inches ; draft, 28 feet 6 inches. Her engines are 
of the quadruple expansion type and she has Babcock and Wilcox 
boilers. Her estimated speed is 21 knots, and she has a bunker 
coal capacity of 2850 tons, exclusive of 400 tons of oil. Her armor 
is of Krupp steel, which protects her water-line in an 8-foot wide 
belt, varying in thickness from 12 inches amidships to 4 inches at 
the ends; in addition she has 9-inch to 11 -inch armored bulkheads 
forward and aft, 14-inch plates on her turrets, 12-inch barbettes, 
and 6 inches on her battery and casemates. Her armament consists 
of ten 14-inch B. L. R.'s, twenty-one 5-inch R. F.'s, four 3-pound- 



lo The Ships of the United States Navy 

ers, two I -pounders, two 3-inch field guns, and two .30-caliber 
machine guns. She also has two 21 -inch submerged torpedo tubes. 
Her complement is, as flagship, 63 officers and 1009 men. The 
contract cost of her construction was $6,000,000. 

On April 15, 1914, the New York went into commission at the 
New York navy yard, whence, on April 26, in command of Captain 
Thomas S. Rodgers, she sailed for Mexican waters, where she be- 
came the flagship of Rear Admiral C. McR. Winslow, command- 
ing the special service squadron. After several months' duty at 
Vera Cruz, the Netv York returned to home waters, where she 
was assigned to the first division of the Atlantic fleet, being, for 
a time, Admiral Fletcher's fleet flagship. 

The armored cruiser New York, now known as the Saratoga, 
was the fifth ship of that name. Authorized by Act of Congress 
on September 7, 1888, she was launched at the shipyard of William 
Cramp & Sons, Philadelphia, Pa., on December 2, 1891. She is 
a ship of the first rate, of 8150 tons displacement, 380 feet 6 inches 
length, 64 feet 10 inches breadth, and 23 feet 3 inches draft. She 
is an armored steel vessel, with a water-line belt 4 inches thick, 
a 6-inch sloping protective deck, 5 V2 inches of steel on her turrets, 
and a barbette of 10 inches. Her engines are of the vertical triple- 
expansion type, of 17,075 H. P., and on her trial developed a speed 
of 21 knots. She has Scotch boilers, and a bunker coal capacity 
of 1325 tons. Her original contract cost was $2,985,000. Her 
complement is 34 ofticers and 525 men. 

When first commissioned, in 1893, the Neiv York carried a bat- 
tery of six 8-inch B. L. R.'s, twelve 4-inch R. F. G.'s, eight 6- 
pounder D. S.'s, and four Hotchkiss i-pounders. This armament 
remained substantially the same for 13 years, with the exception 
of occasional changes in her secondary i -pounder battery, which 
was more than doubled in 1897 and 1898, and afterwards gradually 
decreased. In 1906 her armament was changed to four 8-inch 
B. L. R.'s, ten 5-inch R. F.'s, eight 3-inch R. F.'s, four 3-pounder 
R. F.'s, and four .30 caliber automatics. 

On August I, 1893, the New York went into commission at 
Philadelphia under Captain J. W. Philip, and proceeded immedi- 
ately to the South Atlantic station where she was engaged in pro- 
tecting American interests until June 29. 1894, when she was 
ordered north for duty in home waters with the North Atlantic 



The Ships of the United States Navy ii 

squadron. On August 23, 1894, Captain R. D. Evans relieved 
Captain Philip. The Nezv York then became the flagship of the 
North Atlantic station, and cruised regularly with the squadron, 
except in June, 1895, when she was ordered to Kiel. Germany, for 
the opening of the new North Baltic Sea canal. Returning to the 
United States, Captain Evans was succeeded in command of the 
Ahiv York by Captain W. S. Schley, who in turn was relieved by 
Captains S. Casey (March 14, 1897)* and French E. Chadwick 
(1897). 

The 15th of February, 1898, found the New York at Dry 
Tortugas, Fla. Immediately the ship proceeded to Key West, 
where she was fitted for war service, and on March 26 became 
the flagship of Rear Admiral W. T. Sampson. Three days after 
the declaration of hostilities, she sailed for the Havana blockade 
and v/hile on that station, on April 27, shelled some new Spanish 
defences at Matanzas, Cuba, with the Puritan and Cincinnati. 
Four days later Key West was visited for coal, and then, in com- 
pany with the Indiana and loiva, two monitors and two cruisers, 
Admiral Sampson sailed for San Juan, Porto Rico, where, after 
many difficulties, owing to the necessity of towing the monitors, 
the squadron arrived on the 12th, and proceeded to bombard the 
defences. The surprise was complete ; it was eight minutes before 
there was an answering shot. But two hours' firing by the ships 
did comparatively little damage to the forts, and the vessels with- 
drew having been struck three times. 

On ]May 21, the Nezv York arrived on the north coast blockading 
station, whence she cruised in the early part of June between Key 
West and Santiago, arriving ofif the latter port in time to participate 
in the bombardments of the Spanish forts on June 6 and 16. On 
July I, the New York went with the Gloucester and Stnvanee to 
Aguadores to make a demonstration in cooperation with a detach- 
ment of the army, and on the day following the flagship and the 
fleet bombarded Morro Castle and the Socapa battery at Santiago 
to cover an assault by the American troops, which, however, did 
not take place. 

A few minutes before 9 a. m.. on July 3, the Nezv York left her 
station on the blockade for Siboney where Admiral Sampson was 
to consult with General Shafter. At 9.35 the smoke of a gun at 

* Dates in parentheses, immediately following an officer's name, indicate 
the date of his taking command of the ship. 



12 The Ships of the United States Navy 

the Santiago harbor entrance interrupted her eastward pro.gress. 
In another moment the Spanish ships were seen coming out. The 
Nczv York's helm was immediately put hard over and the engi- 
neer's department was urged to exert every efifort to make steam. 
But, at 9.35 the ship was seven miles from Morro Castle, and the 
distance was too great to lessen rapidly. Still, the presence of the 
A'ew York towards the close of the chase, when she and the 
Oregon, Brooklyn and Texas were rapidly overhauling the Cris- 
tobal Colon did much to bring the last fleeing Spanish cruiser to 
bay. After this engagement the Nezv York participated in but 
one more action, the bombardment of the batteries at Santiago on 
July II. On August 20 the ship steamed up the Hudson River, 
New York. 

On December 12, 1899, Captain A. S. Snow took command of 
the h^ew York, which still was attached to the North Atlantic 
squadron. But under Captains M. R. S. Mackenzie (February 16, 
1901) and J. J- Hunker (January 3, 1903) she was the flagship of 
the Pacific station, performing various duties, and, in February- 
March, 1903, proceeded to the coast of Honduras for the pro- 
tection of American interests. Returning to the Atlantic coast, the 
ship was, on March 31, 1905, placed out of commission at the 
Boston, Mass., navy yard. Four years later, the New York was 
again placed in commission (May 15, 1909), in command of Cap- 
tain Spencer S. Wood, and proceeded to the Mediterranean with 
the armored cruiser squadron, where she cruised during the winter 
of 1908-1909, and, on her return, was assigned again to the North 
Atlantic fleet (August, 1909), remaining until December 31, 1909, 
when she was placed in first reserve. On being recommissioned 
(April I, 1910), the New York proceeded to the Asiatic station, 
under Commander J. L. Jayne (March 16, 1910), where she be- 
came the flagship of the commander-in-chief of that fleet. On 
February 16, 191 1, the name of the New York was changed to the 
Saratoga, in order that the newest battleship authorized by Con- 
gress might bear the name of the empire state. 

The fourth New York was, until May 15, 1869, known as the 
Ontario. Like her predecessor, the third New York, she never was 
completed. She was built by the government at the New York 
navy yard, her keel being laid in 1863. She was one of the first 
rate screw sloops authorized by Congress during the war, of 3177 



The Ships of tpie United States Navy [3 

tons tonnage, 312 feet 6 inches length, and 47 feet breadth. Her 
engines were of the horizontal back action type, of 36 inches 
stroke, and were built by the Etna Iron Works of New York at 
a cost of $385,000. She had four main and two super-heating 
boilers. Her proposed battery (December 9, 1864) was two 30- 
pounder Parrott rifles, one 60-pounder Parrott, two loo-pounder 
Parrotts, sixteen 9-inch smooth-bores, two 24-pounder howitzers, 
one i2-pounder rifle, and one 12-pounder smooth-bore. The New 
York was carried on the Navy Register until 1888, when she was 
broken up on the stocks. 

The third New York was a sailing ship-of-the-line, one of the 
vessels authorized by the Act of April 29, 1816. She was a ship 
of 2633 tons, built of wood, and of the following dimensions : 
length, 196 feet 3 inches; breadth, 53 feet; depth, 22 feet. Her 
armament (assigned in 1850) was to consist of twelve 8-inch 
smooth-bores, and seventy-two long 32-pounders, and she was to 
be manned by 820 men. She was built at the Norfolk, Va., navy 
yard by the government at a cost of $215,328.76, but never com- 
pleted. Her keel was laid in 1818, and she was still on the stocks 
on April 20, 1861, when the navy yard was burnt. What was left 
of her was sold on May 31, 1888, at New York to C. H. Gregory 
for $10. 

The second Nezv York was a frigate of 36 guns, built, on the 
outbreak of the war with France, with money advanced by citizens 
on the credit of the United States under authority of the Act of 
June 30, 1798. She was launched at New York in 1799, and car- 
ried 38 officers and 340 men. Her initial cost was $159,639. 

On October 20, 1800, she was ordered to the Guadeloupe station, 
under the command of Captain Richard Y. Morris, where she 
made an uneventful cruise for the protection of American com- 
merce with Commodore Barry's squadron. At the close of hos- 
tilities, in the spring of 1801, the New York was laid up at 
Washington. 

The outbreak of the war with Tripoli brought the New York 
into service again, and she was put into commission on August 13, 
1802, by Captain James Barron, who had as his first lieutenant 
Stephen Decatur. Proceeding to the Mediterranean, Captain 
Barron first touched at Algiers, where he delivered to the Ameri- 



14 The Ships of the United States Navy 

can consul $30,000, which our government hoped the Dey would 
accept as tribute in lieu of naval stores, after which the New York 
put into Port Mahon to refit, arriving later at Gibraltar. On 
April 6, 1803, Commodore R. V. Morris, commanding the squad- 
ron, shifted his flag to the New York, taking with him Captain 
Isaac Chauncey, while Captain Barron went to the Chesapeake. 

An unfortunate accident on board, shortly after, during the 
passage of the ship from Gibraltar to Malta, nearly ended in dis- 
aster. Through carelessness, a quantity of powder was exploded 
in the vicinity of the magazine. Bulkheads were blown down and 
the ship was on fire and full of smoke below. Nineteen officers 
and men were injured. But perfect discipline prevailed, and vol- 
unteers, headed by Captain Chauncey, succeeded in putting out 
the fire. Arriving at Malta May i, 1803, the New York was de- 
tained repairing the damage done by the explosion. Putting to 
sea again in the latter part of May the commodore proceeded to 
blockade Tripoli, off which port one day a number of coasting 
vessels were chased and forced to put into the harbor of the Old 
Town. An attack was made by the boats of the American squad- 
ron under Lieutenant Porter in the face of a hot fire from a large 
force of troops on shore, and all the stranded vessels were fired, 
but the Tripolitans, with reckless courage, rushed out from behind 
their breastworks, put out the flames and saved their shipping, 
besides inflicting a loss of fifteen killed and wounded on the land- 
ing party. 

On May 28 the squadron made an attack on the Tripolitan gun- 
boats off the Bashaw's capital, but the New York was unable to 
participate owing to the lightness of the wind, and Commodore 
Morris was in consequence charged with mismanagement. In 
fact, this bombardment concluded INIorris's offensive campaign 
against the Tripolitans. On June 10 he sailed away with the New 
York and Enterprise, leaving two frigates on blockade off the 
port, and these, after their capture of the Tripolitan frigate 
Meshuda, he also withdrew to collect his whole forces at Naples. 
In September, 1803, Commodore Morris was recalled by the Navy 
Department, and Commodore John Rodgers hoisted his broad 
pennant in the A^ezv York, but as Commodore Preble was already 
on his way to relieve him, the Neiu York did not see much more 
service in Mediterranean waters. A short visit to Tangier — where 
the Sultan of Morrocco was so impressed by the force of the 



The Ships of the United States Navy 15 

American squadron that he declared only most friendly sentiments 
and made all haste to confirm the treaty of 1786 — and Commodore 
Rodgers, with the John Adams in company, set sail October 19, 
1803, for the United States, where the New York was laid up at 
Washington. When the War of 1812 broke out, she was reported 
as unworthy of repair ; in 1814 she was a sheer hulk, and in that 
condition (August, 1814) she was burnt to prevent capture by the 
British troops that occupied the capital. 

The first New York was a gondola constructed by the Ameri- 
can troops on Lake Champlain in the summer of 1776 in their 
efforts to establish a flotilla on that waterway to dispute the British 
advance from Canada against Ticonderoga. She was built at 
Skenesborough, N. Y., of forest timber, and mounted one long 
i2-pounder, two nines, and eight swivels. Her crew consisted 
of 45 men. 

Under Captain Reed, the New York formed part' of General 
Benedict Arnold's flotilla. Leaving Crown Point on August 24, 
the vessel cruised about the lake, stopping first at Willsborough, 
then at Isle la Motte, and lastly at Valcour Island, where Arnold 
took up an excellent defensive position with his small force to 
await the coming of the British flotilla under Captain Pringle. 
He had not long to wait. On the ist of October news of the 
enemy's approach was received and 11 days later his ship, 
schooners, and smaller vessels were sighted rounding Cumber- 
land Head. In the action that followed, the American vessels 
sufifered severely. Two were lost and the others were so hulled 
and shattered that Arnold decided to abandon his position and 
retreat to the shelter of Crown Point. On this first day of action 
the Neiv York lost every one of her officers except her captain, and 
expended three-fourths of her ammunition. 

The flotilla's withdrawal was successfully accomplished, and on 
the morning of the 12th Arnold reached Schuyler's Island, 12 
miles away, stopping there only to stop leaks and mend sails. But 
the delay was sufficient to enable the British to overtake the flee- 
ing Americans. One by one Arnold's vessels were forced to run 
ashore or surrender. The former was the fate of the New York. 
On October 13 she was beached, after a running fight, and burnt to 
prevent falling into the hands of the enemy. 



i6 The Ships of the United States Navy 

TEXAS 

Texas. — The largest of the United States. The first European who 
landed on this part of the continent was the French explorer La Salle, in 
1685. Originally part of Mexico, it had many settlers from the United 
States, who, oppressed by the Mexican Government, formed themselves 
into a republic in 1835. In 1845 Texas renounced its independence and 
joined the union. 

The Texas is a sister-ship of the Nezi; York, having been author- 
ized by same Act of Congress, June 24, 1910, and having been 
built from the same plans. She is an armored steel battleship of 
the first rate, of 27,000 tons. Her length is 565 feet, her breadth, 
95 feet 2 inches, and she draws 28^ feet of water. Her engines 
are of the quadruple expansion type, developing a speed, on trial, 
of 21.05 knots. Her bunker capacity is 2850 tons of coal, exclusive 
of 400 tons of oil. She was built by contract at the yard of the 
Newport News Shipbuilding Co., at a cost of $6,000,000, and was 
launched on May 18, 191 2. Her armament consists of ten 14-inch 
B. L. R.'s, twenty-one 5-inch R. F.'s, four 3-pounders, two S. A. i- 
pounders, two field guns, two machine guns, and four submerged 
2 1 -inch torpedo tubes. Her complement, as flagship, is 63 officers 
and 1009 men. 

On March 12, 19 14, the Texas was commissioned at the Norfolk 
navy yard, and 12 days later she put to sea, under the command of 
Captain Albert W. Grant, for special service in Mexican waters. 
Arriving at Vera Cruz she was attached to Rear Admiral C. McR. 
Winslow's squadron. On her return north in the summer of 1914, 
she was assigned to the first division of the Atlantic fleet, which 
is her present duty. 

The previous Texas was one of the fist two modern armor-clad 
ships built for the new navy. She and the Maine were provided 
for in the Act of Congress of August 3, 1886. The Texas was 
the second ship in our navy to bear that name. She was built by 
the government, from plans drawn by the Barrow Shipbuilding 
Co. of England, at the Norfolk navy yard, and was there launched 
on June 28, 1892. Her principal dimensions were: displacement, 
6315 tons ; length, 301 feet 4 inches ; breadth, 64 feet i inch ; draft, 
22 feet 6 inches. Her engines were of the vertical triple-expansion 
type of 8610 H. P., and her four boilers were double-ended Scotch. 
Her speed was 17.8 knots, and with 850 tons of coal in her bunkers 
her steaming radius at 10 knots was 2900 miles. She had a water- 



The Ships of the United States Navy 17 

line belt of 12 inches of armor, while added protection was given 
to her vitals by a 2-inch sloping protective deck. On her turrets 
were 12-inch steel plates. Her battery, in 1895, consisted of two 
12-inch B. L. R.'s, six 6-inch B. L. R.'s, twelve 6-pounders, six i- 
pounders, four 37-mm. Hotchkiss revolvers, two Colts, one field 
gun, and two Whitehead torpedo tubes. Her complement was 
30 officers and 478 men. 

On August 15, 1895, the Texas went into commission at the 
Norfolk navy yard, and on the 6th of the month following she 
went out for her preliminary trials. Her first commanding officer 
was Captain H. Glass. From January 26 to July 20, 1896, she 
was out of commission at the Norfolk navy yard, but the remainder 
of the time she was attached to the North Atlantic station. Cap- 
tain W. C. Wise relieved Captain Glass on March 31, 1897, and 
he in turn was succeeded by Captain John W. Philip on October 
18, 1897. 

On the outbreak of the Spanish- American War the Texas 
formed part of the fiying squadron. On May 19, she proceeded to 
Cienfuegos, thence to Santiago, and from that place to Guanta- 
namo Bay. Her station from June 1 1 to 30, was, judging from her 
movements, on the blockade between Morro Castle and Guanta- 
namo Bay, which, after the occupation of McCalla Hill by the 
marines on June 10 to 14, became the general base of the American 
fleet for coaling and repairs ; the Vulcan, a repair ship, having been 
ordered there for the use of the fleet. The only warlike operations 
at Guantanamo Bay after this, except for a reconnoissance a few 
days later, were the attack made by the Texas on June 15, on the 
small and anticjuated fort commanding the approach to Caimanera, 
the chief result of this maneuver being the bringing to the surface 
of two Spanish contact mines — one of them broken adrift by the 
propeller of the Texas, the explosion of which would probably 
have destroyed the ship. 

On four different occasions the Texas participated in the bom- 
bardments of the Spanish forts at the entrance of Santiago harbor, 
on June 6 and 16, and on July 2, and on the night of July 4-5. On 
June 22, W'hile the American army, under General Shafter, was 
landing at Daiquiri, the T^.rcw participated in the diversion against 
the Socapa battery and was struck by one Spanish shell, which 
killed one man and wounded eight others. 



i8 The Ships of the United States Navy 

When the Spanish fleet, under Admiral Cervera, came out of 
Santiago harbor, the Texas was on her station directly before 
Morro Castle. " The first shots of the Texas," wrote Captain 
Philip, " were directed at the Teresa at long range (4200 yards) 
.... Every one of the Spanish vessels fired as she came broadside 

on, rounding the western point of the harbor entrance I 

altered the Texas's course to the westward, seeing that was the 
direction in which the Spanish squadron was going. Then oc- 
curred the incident which caused me more alarm than anything 
Cervera did that day. As the Texas veered westward, the Brook- 
lyn was ploughing up the water at a great rate in a course almost 
due north, direct for the oncoming Spanish ships, and nearly 
a mile away from the Texas. The smoke from our guns began to 
hang so heavily and densely over the ship that for a few minutes 
we could see nothing. Suddenly a whiff of breeze and a lull in the 
firing lifted the pall, and there, bearing towards us and across 
our bows, turning on her port helm, was the Brooklyn. .... 
' Back both engines hard,' went down the tube to the astonished 

engineers The collision which seemed imminent, even 

if it was not, was averted." 

The Maria Teresa was now standing along the coast ; and two 
other Spanish cruisers had by this time also made their exit. At 
10.30 the Teresa headed for the shore, a towering mass of smoke. 
After the other fleeing cruisers, the American fleet raced. The 
Texas warmly engaged the Oqiiendo, which was the last to come 
out, firing from her main battery guns only when a good target 
could be seen, for the smoke from her own guns hung so heavily 
about the ship, that, " often for minutes at a time, for all we could 
see, we might as well have been down in the double bottoms as on 
the bridge." And the secondary battery was also brought into play 
when the Spanish destroyers made their appearance. At 10.35 
the Texas passed the Oquendo as that ship ran up the white flag. 
Leaving her. Captain Philip continued the chase after the Viscaya 
and the Colon, which were still crowding on all steam. But shortly 
after II the first named veered toward the shore, on fire fore and 
aft. At noon the Colon was steaming 14%. knots, but the Texas 
dogged her heels, making 95.2 turns on her port engine, about 
13.8 knots — almost as much as the speedy New York which, at that 
hour, was making but 13.92 knots. But at 12.50, the Oregon's 



The Ships of the United States Navy 19 

13-inch turret-guns found the range of the gallant Colon, four and 
a quarter miles away, and the chase was' won. 

Thanks to the fact that the range at which the action was fought . 
was shorter than that expected by the Spaniards, the American 
ships escaped with slight injury. The Texas was struck but once 
and had four men wounded, but she suffered other damage from 
the efifect of the concussion of her own 12-inch guns. 

After the war. Captain Philip was relieved in command of the 
Texas by Captain Charles D. Sigsbee (September 4, 1898). From 
this time on the ship cruised with the North Atlantic fleet, par- 
ticipating in the usual fleet evolutions, target practices, etc., until 
she went out of commission at Norfolk on November 3, 1900. 
Previous to this Captain Sigsbee had been relieved by Captain W. 
S. Gibson (January 22, 1900), who in turn was succeeded in com- 
mand by Captain M. R. S. Mackenzie. 

On November 3, 1902, the Texas was again put in commission 
as flagship of the coast squadron of the North Atlantic fleet. Her 
commanders during this period were Captain William T. Swin- 
burne and Captain George A. Bicknell (1904). Under Com- 
mander Charles F. Plunkett (June 26, 1906), the ship remained 
at the Norfolk navy yard in reserve. In September she again went 
into full commission under Commander George R. Clark (August 
25, 1906), and conveyed a force of marines to Cuba to reinforce 
the army of occupation, after which she returned to reserve duty at 
Norfolk on November 9, 1906, remaining there, in charge of Com- 
mander Clark and Lieutenant Commander Edward T. Wither- 
spoon (August 17, 1907), until she was placed out of commission 
on January 11, 1908. 

There being a need for a station and receiving ship at Charles- 
ton, S. C, the Texas was put in service for that duty on September 
I, 1908. Her commanding officers from 1908 until 191 1 were 
Commander William A. Gill, Lieutenant William H. Allen (July 
29, 1910) and Commander Albert W. Key (September 26, 1910). 
On February 3, 191 1, her name was changed to the San Marcos, 
under which name she continued in service until October 11, 1911, 
when she was stricken from the Navy Register. 

The first Texas was an ironclad ram captured from the Confed- 
erates at the fall of Richmond, Va., on April 4, 1865, and taken 
by Admiral Porter " for the use of the navy." She was a ship 



20 The Ships of the United States Navy 

of the first rate, built of wood and iron, at an estimated cost of 
$126,848. Her dimensions were: length, 217 feet; breadth, 48 
feet 6 inches ; depth, 13 feet ; and draft, 13 feet 6 inches. She had 
twin screws, and four horizontal direct-acting engines of 20 inches 
stroke, and two return-flue boilers. She was sold at Norfolk, Va., 
on October 15, 1867, to J. N. Leonard for $3200. 

ARKANSAS 

Arkansas. — One of the Southern states of the union, on the Mississippi 
River. First settled by the French in 1685, it formed part of the Louisiana 
purchase in 1803, and was admitted into the union in 1836. 

The battleship Arkansas now in service is the third ship of the 
navy to bear the name of the State of Arkansas. She is a ship of 
the first line, of 26,000 tons (normal displacement) , 554 feet length, 
93 feet 2^ inches breadth, and 28 feet 6 inches draft. Built by 
contract under authority of the Act of Congress of March 3, 1909, 
at Camden, N. J., by the New York Shipbuilding Co., at a cost of 
$4,675,000, she was launched on January 14, 1911. Her propel- 
ling machinery consists of four-screw Parsons turbines, for which 
steam is furnished by Babcock and Wilcox boilers. Her trial speed 
was 21.05 knots. Her main battery includes twelve 12-inch B. L. 
R.'s, while for secondary defence purposes she is armed with 
twenty-one 5-inch rifles, four 3-pounders, two i pounders, two 
3-inch field pieces, and two .30-caliber M. She has also four 21- 
inch torpedo tubes. Her complement is, as flagship, 62 officers 
and 978 men. 

On September 17, 1912, the Arkansas went into commission, 
imder the command of Captain Roy C. Smith, at the Philadelphia 
navy yard, whence she immediately proceeded to New York for the 
October naval review. After a shaking-down cruise, she received 
the President on board for passage to the Panama Canal (Decem- 
ber, 1912). In June, 1913, she joined the first division of the 
Atlantic fleet, performing, for a time, duty as escort to the Bra- 
zilian battleship Minas Geraes. In November she went to the 
Mediterranean with the fleet. From July to December, 19 14, the 
Arkansas was engaged in the usual fleet maneuvers, drills and 
target practices, during one of which she achieved the distinction 
of establishing a world's record with one of her 12-inch turrets, 
making a perfect score at 2000 yards with both guns in six shots 
fired in 57 seconds. 



The Ships of the United States Navy 21 

In April, 19 14, the Arkansas became the flagship of the com- 
mander-in-chief, Rear Admiral Charles J. Badger. Two weeks 
later, while preparing for target practice, the ship was suddenly 
ordered to Mexican waters in company with such of the ships of 
the Atlantic fleet as were immediately available. At i o'clock on 
the morning of the 226. she arrived in Vera Cruz. The bluejackets 
and marines of the Florida and Utah had already been landed, but 
were not in sufficient force to maintain their positions. So the 
Arkansas's landing force of 18 officers and 328 men was at once 
called away and put ashore in time to participate in the second 
day's fighting, losing two men killed and three wounded. On April 
27, the American flag was officially raised over the city of Vera 
Cruz and the Arkansas's battalion remained on shore until relieved 
by the army on April 30. 

For several months longer the Arkansas remained at Vera Cruz 
with the other ships of the Atlantic fleet, returning in the fall to 
her home yard at New York, where Captain William R. Shoe- 
maker succeeded Captain Smith in command of the ship. 

The present Arkansas's predecessor was one of the single- 
turret harbor-defence monitors authorized by Congress on May 4, 
1898, just after the outbreak of the Spanish-American War. She 
is still in service, as the Ozark, her name having been changed 
on March 2, 1909, in order that one of the new battleships might 
bear the name. She is a steel vessel of 3225 tons displacement, 
having the following dimensions : length, 252 feet ; breadth, 50 
feet ; draft, 12 feet 6 inches. Her rig is one military mast and she 
has one funnel. She was built by contract for $960,000, by the 
Newport News Shipbuilding Co., and was launched on November 
10, 1900. She is a twin-screw ship, with two vertical triple-e.xpan- 
sion engines, of 1830 H. P., and 24-inch stroke, to which steam is 
supplied by four Thornycroft boilers. Her trial speed was 12.71 
knots, and her coal bunker capacity is 344 tons, sufficient to enable 
her to steam about 1680 miles at 10 knots. 

Built for harbor defence, the Arkansas was planned along the 
Imes of the monitors constructed at the close of the Civil War, 
only her armament was considerably reduced, and she carries 
only two 12-inch B. L. R.'s mounted in a forward turret, while for 
a secondary battery she was furnished with four 4-inch R. F.'s, 
eleven i -pounders, and two .30-caliber automatic rifles. Her 



22 The Ships of the United States Navy 

armor protection consists of a water-line belt 1 1 inches thick, with 
from 9 to II inches on her turrets and barbettes. Her complement 
is 13 officers and 209 men. 

Commissioned on October 28, 1902, the Arkansas formed part 
of the coast squadron of the North Atlantic station. Her first 
commanding officer was Commander C. E. Vreeland, under whom 
she sailed from Norfolk on December 3, 1902, making a cruise 
for the instruction of the midshipmen from the Naval Academy. 
On October 27, 1904, Commander R. H. Gait assumed command 
of the ship on the same station, participating in the joint army 
and navy maneuvers of that summer, and making, besides, several 
cruises with the midshipmen, and finally, on September 2 to 4, 1906, 
attending the presidential review at Oyster Bay, L. I. Arriving 
at Annapolis, Md., on September 6, 1906, the Arkansas was placed 
in reserve on September 11. Commander Bradley A. Fiske, on 
November 22, 1906, succeeded Commander Gait in command, and 
under him the Arkansas made a cruise with the midshipmen from 
June 4 to A-ugust 31, 1907, when she again went into reserve. 
Under Commander Harry M. Dombaugh (August 29, 1907), 
the ship was again commissioned for the same purpose on June i, 
1908, being finally placed in reserve, on her return to the Naval 
Academy, on September i, 1908. 

The first Arkansas was a 752-ton wooden steamer purchased 
at Philadelphia from S. & J. W. Flanagan by Commodore C. K. 
Stribling in 1863 for $98,000. Her original name was the Tona- 
wanda. She wa.s a single-screw vessel of the third rate, with a 
barkentine rig. Her length was 191 feet, her breadth 30 feet, and 
her depth 19 feet. She had one vertical condensing engine, of 
30 inches stroke, and a bunker capacity of 400 tons of coal. Her 
trial speed was 15 knots. On September 4, 1863, her armament 
consisted of four 32-pounders of 33 cwt., and one rifled 12- 
pounder, to which, on October 9, was added one 20-pounder Par- 
rott rifle, and on June 21, 1865, still another 20-pounder. Her 
complement was 13 officers and 75 men. 

The Arkansas was commissioned at Philadelphia on September 
5, 1863, in charge of Act. Vol. Lieut. D. Cate, and attached to 
the West Gulf blockading squadron where she performed contin- 
uous service as supply-, dispatch-, and transport-vessel. On Sep- 
tember 27, 1864, she captured the schooner IV atcJiful, and this, 



The Ships of the United States Navy 23 

with the exception of several bales of cotton picked up off the 
Texas coast on March 28, 1864, was the only prize she made. In 
June, 1864, she went on the ways at Algiers, La., in charge of Act. 
Ensign F. H. Beers, and on coming off met with an accident, 
whereby she became very much hogged and developed such 
serious structural weaknesses that during May, 1865, she was 
obliged to remain at New Orleans for repairs. On July 13, 1864, 
Act. Vol. Lieut. J. F. Harden took command of the ship until 
Lieutenant Cate relieved him on August 30, when the Arkansas 
resumed her duties on the station. After the war, the vessel pro- 
ceeded to the Portsmouth, N. H., navy yard, under Act. Vol. 
Lieut. N. Kirby (May 21, 1865), where she went out of com- 
mission on June 30, 1865. On July 20, 1865, she was sold at Ports- 
mouth to G. S. Leach for $40,100. 



011 460 330 2 



